FARES TRAVELLER

At Virgin Holidays, we believe amazing service should come as standard. That’s why Virgin Holiday’s magic touches are made available to all Virgin Holidays customers – not just the VIPs!

We realise that you want to make the most of being on holiday, so we came up with Check in, Chill out, so you can check in for your flight without leaving the beach…or bar.  Airports are a drag.  The holiday only really starts when you get to your destination.  And if you’ve got kids, then airports are living nightmares.  So, to perk up the airport experience, we came up with the VRoom. And when you’re on holiday, you want to make sure it’s as good as it can be.  That’s where Virgin Holidays’ Concierge service comes in – a concierge actually tuned in to the buzz of your destination, not a guy in a suit on kick backs from rip-off restaurants. This belief is what sets Virgin Holidays apart from the competition. That’s why we actually encourage our customers to ‘Ask For the World’.

But how do you express that exclusive treatment in a single thought.  What do Virgin Holidays offer that no-one else does?  We think it can be described as…

“ROCKSTAR SERVICE”

It’s a level of care you’d normally associate with the glamour and excitement of the entertainment elite.  Made available to every Virgin Holidays customer.
 
The Rockstar Service campaign is the latest creative expression of this belief. With Virgin Holidays, you can rest assured that you’ll get intuitive, imaginative typically brilliant twinkle-in-the-eye Virgin service, every single time you travel with us.

There are plenty of reasons for you to need to rent a car. People need it to go on holiday, to be mobile in an unknown city, to move your belongings from town to town or, sometimes, just to enjoy yourself and having the freedom of not driving your own car. But no matter what the reason, one thing is common to everyone: car rental is expensive. And the world of car rentals is one of the few where cheap very often means poor quality. You have to keep in mind that the money you give them is, in a way, an equivalent of how much they invested in the car and how much they spend on maintenance in the automobile. So a prestige car hire company will charge you more for the same car as a normal or discount car hire company, but the car will have more extras and be in better quality.

Still, there are things that you can do to lower that price a little bit, asides from picking a cheaper company. Renting over the weekend will often have lower tariffs, as will renting well ahead of time. Booking online will also give you some discounts, that may range from a reduced price to some extras being thrown in.

Confused? What we mean is: even if you find a cheap deal for a luxury item, let’s say a luxury hotel room, it will still be good quality. Luxury hotels cannot get it wrong, it’s in the name. Those five stars didn’t earn themselves; all aspects of the hotel were checked and re-checked, and very heavily scrutinized by hotel officials and outside experts. So there is a guarantee of quality that comes with all of that money that you let go at the end of your stay, when it comes the time to pay the check.

Finding a relatively cheap luxury hotel is a matter of getting a lot of different variables to work for you. One of them is location: luxury hotels in London are a lot more expensive than luxury hotels in Dorset. You also need to carefully pick the time that you’re going. Going in the low season will have you find much cheaper deals than in the high season. Use the internet booking options to your advantage and make sure you find the cheapest time of year to go. Also, look for bulk deals. For instance, a hotel in the Alps may be a little more expensive than another but looking at the deals they offer, you may find that the more expensive one offers, for example, free transportation to the top of the hills.

Finding your accommodation for your next holiday will be the first order of business. Once you know how you’re getting there, whether it be flight, train, or car, you will want to book your hotel. Cheap hotels, special discounts and offers are easy to find, but how do you search for them? Here are some tips when you’re looking to book your hotel online.

Use a website with a comparative search engine. Enter the criteria that is important to you, starting with the area. You want accessibility your points of interest, and a good price. The best way to find the cheapest rates (if your vacation dates are flexible) is to view the hotel’s availability for a whole month. Rates will rise and fall throughout the course of a month, which can help you decide which dates to choose.

A more refined search can include facilities that you require, such as a gym or swimming pool. Those traveling with children, or that may need a cot, should also include this in their search criteria. Traveling with pets, looking for a room with a view, and requiring 24 hour check in are other details you should consider when searching. Valet, restaurants and bars, and beachside location are some of the other specifics you should remember.

If you are headed to Paris for your next vacation, and plan on taking part in some of the finest shopping in the world, then you should know a bit about the history of this great city. Not only has Paris been a focal point for significant events in history, invention, literature, art, and other ground breaking subject, but they are the fashion capital of Europe. Every year millions of tourists flock to Paris for their runways, their shops, and their style.

Consider first the most famous designers you know. Names such as Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton may come to mind. It is no surprise that they all hail from France. This country loves fashion, and fashion loves Paris. Other famous names in fashion that also come from France include Hermes, Gaultier, Yves Saint Laurent, among others. France as long been the leader in the fashion world, and judging by the world wide success and renowned their designers still have, that isn’t changing any time soon. If you’re looking to experience fashion, then choose Paris for your next holiday. Book one of the many stylish Paris Hotels and complete the experience of luxury.

Stag weekends are best held at places with a vibrant nightlife – a must to make bustling parties a raging success. That makes Bristol (an industrial city and port in southwestern England near the mouth of the River Avon) one of those places that are much sought after for holding stag weekends; with its beautiful setting and friendly locals, the storming city of Bristol is currently a hot favorite among people willing to go the whole hog.

For stag weekends Bristol, the best way is to go by a car via the M4 and the M5; these two highways grant easy access to both east-west as well as north-southwest sides. In case you want to avail the train, you must be either at London Paddington or at London Waterloo to start from. From there, the route should be towards either Bristol Parkway or towards Bristol Temple Meads, which is also close to central Bristol.

The reasons that make Bristol stand out from the rest of the places are its daytime activities. A Bristol stag weekend is incomplete without the driving experience; so choose yours from a vast array of 4 x 4-s, quad bikes and mud buggies. It provides for rolling through the Bristol countryside in your most preferred way. The next set of activities includes clay pigeon shooting, since the option is available at the venue itself.  Else, just a stroll around the Bristol fairways and playing golf should provide enough excitement to make your day.

The evenings at Bristol are incomplete if proper accommodation is overlooked; it doesn’t pay to experience the bars at and around Baldwin Street and St. Nicholas Street and then spend the night under the sky, unless you intend to. For a more retro feel, there is also a large concentration of old-fashioned pubs off Park Street and Park row; also at the Berkeley Square. The best way to visit them is to start in this area, winding down slowly towards the harbor-front that features the best late night bars and casinos. That way you can have a good time at each place while still leaving the best for the last so you can sign off with a bang at the end of your stag weekend.

The city of Bristol also has a number of themed bars, clubs and restaurants; if you are up for some different kind of pleasure, nothing shall prove better than these.

International sim cards are of great use when you often need to make overseas visits. In case you need to keep in constant touch with people back home then phone bills is an important aspect to manage. Different connection companies come with various different offers. So, one should put in a bit of research to choose the best company to get the value of money.

There are some things one must keep in mind. Some of them are:

1.      First thing first, one should check the various reviews of these companies. It gives a good over view of the network coverage and the cost charged. Do not stick to the reviews offered by these companies alone, look out and ask your friends and colleagues. A personal experience always gives a better update on anything.

2.      Do not forget to compare the rates offered by these companies. Picking up a cheaper company is a good idea but you might be cutting down on various important facilities. So pick one which not only gives a low rate connection but suits your needs as well.

3.      If your sim card does not work in countries you visit, then it is of no use. So make sure the sim company has a good coverage in the countries you wish to visit.

We will assume that your trip went well, and you have your luggage. Now you have to leave the airport.

If you are not lucky enough to have family or friends to collect you, you have to find your way.

The easiest option is the airport or hotel shuttle.

In countries where there is a good public transport system, it is really easy to get around. Try to find small change before you leave, if not from the bank then from friends. The ticket machines need this change and you may end up having to buy a bottle of overpriced water to get a cheap ticket to travel. When you leave the country keep all the change you have for the next trip.

Taxis are convenient. Airport taxis are sometimes governed with a prescribed, if inflated tariff. Find out what the expected fee is so that you are not grossly over charged. Also research the route you should take. This could prevent the driver from taking you on a tour around the city to the destination which is only two blocks away. Ensure that the meter is working and they are not just charging you a random fee.

A hire car is another option.  These can all be booked on the internet and collected at the airport. Ensure you have your driver’s license and credit card to collect. You can check on the internet to see if you license is valid or whether you need an international license. Brush up on the rules of the road if different from yours.

When you return home, you can be on your way from the airport in no time at all. If you are parking at LAX for example, they have a system in place that allows you to collect your car very quickly.

You have been spending a lot of time at work, putting more hours to earn some extra cash in this difficult economic climate, and you are simply jaded.  You know you deserve a break nut you are not sure what to do or where to go.  Here are some pointers to help you plan a good vacation getaway as a reward for your hardworking habits.

1. Determine how much time you have for your vacation getaway.  Check on your leave credits at work to accommodate your travel plans.  If at all possible, take all of the available vacation leave credits (paid of course).  Make sure you give plenty of notice to your boss/es.

2. Plan how much you can afford to spend on a vacation getaway.  Keep in mind that travel always entails expenses so you have to plan ahead for a sensible budget that will allow you to enjoy your vacation but will not leave you in a financial lurch afterward.

3. Scout for good places to spend your vacation getaway.  Look up sights that you think you will enjoy and short list them.

4. Find a good travel companion.  If you happen to be single, ask a friend to join you in your vacation getaway.  If you are in are married or in a relationship, ask your husband/wife or your partner to come with you.  They might be in need of a time off too.  Discuss your concerns about the trip and come up with travel plans that are acceptable to both of you.  If you are planning a family vacation getaway though, it might need a more thorough planning and budgeting.

Travelling can be a very rewarding experience especially for people who work hard and deserve a nice time to enjoy themselves and get the chance to do the things that they otherwise do not have the time to do.